Island



(No Model) N. F. MATHBWSON. HARNESS BUCKLE.

No. 586,240. Patented July 13,1897.

flaw 2 am UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN F. MATHEXVSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

HARNESS-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,240, dated July 13,1897.

Application filed September 14, 1896- Serial No. 605,713. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN F. MATHEW- SON, of the city and county ofProvidence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Harness-Buckles; and I declare the followingto be a specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same,partly in elevation and partly in section, on line so so of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a side elevation of said buckle. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of astrap and box loop with my improved buckle as seen in operationtherewith. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Like letters indicate like parts.

Myinvention is a buckle particularly adapted for use upon harnesses,though also useful for analogous purposes. It consists of threecross-bars and two side bars,all integral, one of said cross-bars beingprovided with flanges or shields in combination with a shaft looselymounted at its ends between said side bars, but in close proximity withthe central cross-bar and having a centrally-arranged thumb-pieceprojecting at one side and a centrally-arranged tongue projecting fromthe opposite side, the latter being engageable at its end with a socketin the adjacent end cross-bar, as hereinafter particularly described.

In the drawings, AA are the side bars and B O the cross-bars of thebuckle, all integral with each other and of the usual construction. Theside bars A A are curved or bent, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and at thebend have a central cross bar D integral therewith. The centralcross-bar D has the two extension pieces or shields E extendingtherefrom substantially at a right angle with a central space betweenthem, as appears in Fig. 1.

A shaft F is mounted loosely at its ends in the side bars A A and isprovided at its center with the tongue G and the thumb-piece H, thelatter extending therefrom into or just above the space between theshields or extensions E, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The

end of the tongue Gis bent and its tip enters into a central socket inthe cross-bar B. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

The strap is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 at M,

or bent out of shape.

one end thereof designated a and the looped end I). The usual holes inthe strap are indicated at c.

The cross-bar (J of the buckle is passed through the loop b of the strapM and the other end is carried through the box-loop N and beneath thecross-bar B, as usual, while the strap is fastened by means of thetongue G, passing through one of the holes 0. The pull on the strap M,being in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, drawsthe tongue G toward the cross-bar B, and the tongue, being bent with itsend socketed in the recess in said cross-bar, is able to resist thestrain. The lip of said recess or socket prevents the tongue fromstraightening out or rising above the cross-bar B. The strain upon theshaft F is resisted by the ends of said shaft in their bearings in theside bars A A, as usual; but in order to prevent any bending of saidshaft, which might tend to draw the ends out of their seats in the sidebars I provide the central cross-bar D as a reinforce and so give greatstiffness and strength to the structure, and especially brace the shaftF if it has any tendency to be sprung The extension-pieces E serve asshields to keep the thumb-piece H of said tongue out of contact with theskin of the horse or animal wearing the harness.

To unfasten the strap from the buckle, it is only necessary to push theportion a of the strap M in a direction opposite to that indicated bythe arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, whereupon the edge of the engaged hole ofthe strap M, bearing against the tongue G, moves the tongue from theposition shown in solid lines in Figs. 2, 3, and 5 to the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig 3. The tongue is thus cleared from itsengagement with the strap and the strap can be slid from beneath thecross-bar B of the buckle; or, instead of pushing the strap, as lastmentioned, the tongue G can be operated by the thumb-piece H, which,being seized by the fingers, can be tipped from the position shown insolid lines in Fig. 3 into the position indicated by the dotted lines insaid figure, thus rocking the shaft F and swinging the tongue G outofthe engaging hole 0 of the strap.

As seen in Fig. 3, the bent end of the tongue G when open, as shown indotted lines, is

favorably located to enter whichever of the holes 0 of the strap may bechosen, when said hole is brought into position just above said tongueend. It can then be moved into and through the hole by operating thethumb-piece H, or as soon as the strap is engaged by its said hole uponthe tongue G the draft or pull on the strap will automatically carry thetongue from the open position shown in said figure in dotted lines intoits locking position shown therein in solid lines.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. The improved buckle herein described, consisting of thecurved or bent side bars A A with the cross-bars B O at the endsthereof, respectively, and an intermediate crossbar D, provided withextension-flanges E, having a central interspace, the shaft F, looselymounted in said side bars and having the bent tongue G and the centralthumbpiece H, all arranged substantially as shown.

2. In a buckle, the combination of two bent side bars with a cross-barat one end and a cross-bar at the other end, which has a recess and aprojecting lip over said recess, a shaft loosely mounted in said sidebars and having a thumb-piece and a bent tongue, whose end enters saidrecess and under said lip, substantially as specified.

3. In a buckle, the combination of two bent side bars with a cross-barat one end and a cross-bar at the other end, which has a recess looselymounted in said side bars and having a bent tongue, whose end enterssaid recess and under said lip and an intermediate crossbar, extendingfrom one side bar to the other, parallel and in juxtaposition with saidshaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In a buckle, the combination of two bent side bars with a cross-barat one end and with a cross-bar at the other end, which has a recess anda projecting lip over said recess, a shaft loosely mounted in said sidebars and having a thumb-piece and a bent tongue, whose end enters saidrecess and under said lip and an intermediate cross-bar extending fromone side bar to the other, parallel and in juxtaposition with saidshaft, substantially as described.

5. In a buckle, the combination of two bent side bars with a cross-barat one end and with a cross-bar at the other end, which has a recess anda projecting lip over said recess, a shaft loosely mounted in said sidebars and having a central thumb-piece and a bent tongue, whose endenters said recess and under said lip and an intermediate cross-bar,extending from one side bar to the other, parallel and in juxtapositionwith said shaftand provided with an interspace, wherein said thumb-pieceis movable, substantially as described.

NATHAN F. MATHEWSON. Witnesses:

WARREN R. PERCE, DANIEL W. FINK.

